Awake
by Vivere Sine Timore
Summary: Mal is in a coma. They tell his wife that it's not likely he'll wake up, but she visits him anyway. And then one day he does wake up. Oneshot


"They say you're not going to wake up," she whispers to him, as if she would wake him up if she talked too loud. "I don't want to believe them."

As usual, there is no response from him. Just the steady sound of his heart monitor. His face remains relaxed, his body motionless, and his eyes stayed closed. She could believe he's dead if not for the steady rising and falling of his chest.

"You know, I want to hate you," she informs him with a small smile. "I want to call you an idiot. Because you are one. You should' have done anything. I would've been fine."

Still nothing. She continues.

"I brought Noah by the other day. She misses her daddy." She runs a hand through her hair. "God, Mal, she looks just like you." Sh takes his hand and runs her finger around his gold wedding band.

"Why did you do it?" she asks. "I knew what I was doing. Why did you push me?" But she knows it's because he'd rather sacrifice himself than let any harm come to her. He'd rather die himself than watch her die, and leave their daughter without her mother.

She's suddenly angry. She wants to slap him, to yell at him. She settles for pushing his hand away angrily, sitting back and crossing her arms as she stares at him.

"I didn't need a hero," she spits at him. "I never did. You know that. You've known that since the first time we met." He remains still and silent. Her eyes drift from him to the assortment of cards that have been arranged on his nightstand. She sees the one sent from his best friend and smiles. She thinks back to how she couldn't stand her when they first met, and now she's closer to her than anyone else. Besides Mal, that is.

Maria's is there, so is Kai's. Even Amy sent one when she heard what happened. And her eyes find one that was obviously drawn by a child. Noah's. She'd drawn her family, her in the middle of her parents. She smiles at her impression of Mal. He's taller than both of them and he has a Superman cape on.

"You have to wake up," she whispers, her eyes still trained on the card. "If not for me, then for Noah. She needs her superhero dad back." She takes his hand again. And she waits.

* * *

She sits in her favorite chair as she watches TV without actually watching it. It's more that she's staring at it absently while Noah plays at her feet. She looks down at her seven-year-old daughter, playing with a doll Mal had brought home one day. Her blonde curls swing lightly as she moves, her hair partially tied up and away from her face.

She misses him, but she's long since stopped visiting him every 's been months and months. She needs to move on with her life and be there for her daughter. She'd quit her job and taken a new one, one where she doesn't run the risk of being killed. It's simple and maybe the have to struggle a bit, but its safe.

The phone rings and before she has time to get up, Noah is dashing to the kitchen to pick it up.

"Mommy, it's for you," she calls from the kitchen. She sighs and hoists herself up from the couch. Noah hands her the cordless phone and rushes back to the living room to play,

"Start getting ready for bed, baby bird," she calls before pressing the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Fallon?"

"That's me."

"I'm calling regarding your husband, Mal." Her heart seems to stop.

"Yes?" She fears the worst. She's always known it's a possibility, but she hopes to God it's not _the phone call_.

"Well, he's showing signs of waking up." She nearly drops the phone. "We think it would b best for you to come down here for when he opens his eyes."

"Yeah, sure, I'll be right there." She hangs the phone up, then dashes up the stairs.

"Noah, sweetheart?"

"Yeah?" Her daughter looks up at her with her big blue eyes.

"The people at the hospital think Daddy's waking up. We're going to go to the hospital to see him." Her daughter's smile lights up the room as she scrambles to change back into her clothes. Not even five minutes later they're in the car, speeding towards the hospital. She's already called everyone at the precinct.

Five floors up and eight doors on the right. When they get there he's already sitting up, leaning against tons of pillows as they support him. His eyes light up at the sight of them. Noah runs to his bedside and climbs up next to him.

"Hi, baby bird," he says hoarsely. Her parents smile as she curls into her father's side.

"Hi," Noah beams up at him. She walks to his side and takes his hand as she's done so many times.

"Hi," she echoes. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," he replies, sighing a bit. "Stiff. A little weak. The nurses explained everything. They said this was normal."

"Yeah, well, that's what you get for throwing yourself in front of a bus." He smiles.

"Anything for my wife."

"And me!" Noah chirps from the bed.

"And you," he agrees. The door opens, and Natara stand there, looking like she can hardly believe her eyes. She walks toward the bed and sits next to her. She takes Natara's hand with her free one.

"Hi," Natara breathes.

"Hey." She rises and picks Noah up as she does.

"We'll let you two talk for a bit. Besides, it's way past her bedtime." She leans down and kisses him. "I promise we'll be back in the morning."

"Alright," he agrees. "Goodnight, Noah. Goodnight, Blaise. I love you."

* * *

_Written because I've suddenly found myself in love with the Mal/Blaise pairing. (What would hat be called, anyway? Malaise? Blalachi? *cue me laughing way too hard at that second one*)_


End file.
